Building new homes? Here’s how to do it faster and catch the wave

After several stagnant years in the UK new homes market, demand is now outstripping supply. Housebuilders need to be able to respond quickly to catch the crest of the wave, and the opportunity is brief. Here’s how you can see it in action, and get ahead of the pack.

Ever seen a surfer catch a wave? Impressive, right? Ever seen one miss it completely? You can almost feel their disappointment as they paddle back out to sea to try again.

The current surge in the UK new homes market is the wave all housebuilders are trying to catch, but missing it can’t easily be remedied by paddling back and having another go. This is a once-in-an-economic-cycle chance for housebuilders to get right to the front of the pack.

In doing so, there are challenges to overcome; impending sustainability targets, planning approvals, mortgage availability, and the continuing brick shortage. There’s also the cost element – financing a new development is a hefty undertaking, and a tight rein on costs is essential.

Here are our top reasons why offsite construction of timber frame is a good way to meet the demand effectively:

1. Speed of build: Typically, a masonry-based construction project will take 18 weeks to complete. Our timber systems can bring this down to seven weeks from the foundations; the offsite construction means the building is erected quickly on site, regardless of weather. So you can build two timber system-based houses in the same time as one masonry-based house, and start generating cash four weeks earlier.

2. Capacity: Our factories have the capacity to meet the growing requirements of housebuilders which want to take advantage of the improving new homes market. We operate on the basis of three week call-offs once the final designs are complete, and our Witney factory alone produces 10,000 units per year. We’re also increasing our headcount to meet the growing demand.

4. Quality assurance: Offsite construction methods allow precision, factory-controlled engineering, which means the design you specify is reflected in the end product. That not only makes it easier when it comes to the onsite build stage, but also assures energy efficiency performance within the parameters you set.

Invitation

If you’d like to see for yourself (for free) how offsite construction works, and how it can help your business achieve its objectives, we’ll be holding a (free) tour of our factory in Witney, Oxford on Wednesday, April 9. Did we mention it’s free? You can register by followingthis link– we hope to see you there (and surfboards are not mandatory).